On the recordOctober 21, 2015
I thank the chairman for this opportunity. Mr. Chairman, I come to the floor today, after looking in the eyes of the kids, students, their parents, eyes filled with hope and opportunity and success. I come to the floor today to add my support for H.R. 10, the SOAR Reauthorization Act, because it works. This legislation will ensure the continuation of the successful D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which was established by Congress in 2004, to provide eligible low- income families in the District of Columbia with the opportunity to attend the school of their choice. Innovative programs like the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program are necessary to fix our broken educational system and prepare our children for the 21st century workforce, and I am confounded that any of my colleagues would oppose a program that provides students with an opportunity for a better education, especially one that has been an unqualified success. On average, students in the Opportunity Scholarship Program have a graduation rate of 90 percent, well above the national average, as well as D.C.'s overall graduation rate of 58 percent. These students continue to succeed in their pursuit of higher education, with 88 percent of the graduates going on to attend a 2- or 4-year college or university. While the benefits to D.C.…
